"I think I might be sick." Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper.
The words almost got lost beneath the hum of the surveillance equipment.
Almost.
Harry heard them immediately.
Of course he did.
His arm was already around her shoulders, pulling her close as they stood together near the back of the security room. His hand moved in slow circles across her back, trying to soothe her despite the fact he felt just as sick as she did.
Hermione looked pale.
Very pale.
Her usual confidence had completely vanished.
One hand was clutching a fistful of Harry's shirt.
The other remained tightly wrapped around Sloane's hand.
As if letting go might somehow make what they were seeing real.
Or perhaps because it already was.
The room was silent.
Deathly silent.
Nobody was looking at each other.
Nobody was speaking.
Every single person in the room was staring at the same screen.
The same horrifying image.
The security office suddenly felt far too small.
Far too crowded.
Far too hot.
Bill stood near the main console, his arms folded tightly across his chest.
Kingsley was beside him.
McGonagall stood rigidly near the wall.
Newt and Tina had moved closer to the screens.
The students had gathered together almost instinctively.
Like a herd seeking safety.
And still nobody could stop staring.
Euan filled the centre monitor.
There was no doubt about it.
No mistaking him.
No pretending it was someone else.
He sat in the underground chamber looking completely at ease.
Completely comfortable.
Completely in control.
Which somehow made everything worse.
Because this wasn't chaos.
It wasn't random.
It wasn't the behaviour of a cornered creature.
This was organised.
Deliberate.
Planned.
Euan was building something. And now they finally had proof.
Surrounding him sat an army.
Three cats. Two ginger and one black. All sitting perfectly still. Watching him. Listening.
A large dog lay nearby.
Harry's stomach twisted.
The dog looked disturbingly similar to Sirius in his Animagus form. Not identical. But close enough to make his chest ache.
YOU ARE READING
The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts
FantasyThe Hollow Beneath Hogwarts When the war ended, Hogwarts was supposed to be a place of healing. Instead, it became a place haunted by grief. Sloane Sage arrives at Hogwarts carrying scars no one can see. After losing her family in the war, she dedic...
